Goods elevator for vehicles



March 18, 1952 J, ARCHER 2,589,654

GOODS ELEVATOR FOR VEHICLES Filed Sept. 2, 1949 14 14 3 16 g 1 1 13 15 1m 19 X o 11 18 15 o 11 a 20 m 2 20 a 2 I8 5 if 11 21 3 6 4 3 JEAN .ARCHER By A'ITORN EY Patented Mar. 18,1952

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application September 2, 1949, Serial No.113,710 In France September 6, 1948 I This invention has reference to anelevator for raising and/or lowering goods from one level to another andwhilst being applicable to goods elevatorsgenerally, is particularlyapplicable to elevators for facilitating the loading of goods on to. andthe unloading of goods from, the deck or floor of a'vehicle such as alorry or like motor road vehicle;

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a new orimproved goods elevator which is" of simple and eflicient construction,is inexpensive to manufacture and is easy to operate.'

A further object of the invention is 'to provide a goods elevator whichis capable of'easy and speedy fitment to a motor road or other vehicleand of being stored below the deck or floor of the Vehicle when not inuse.

Another object of the invention is to ensure that a goods receivingplatform incorporated injthe elevator-is "maintained horizontal whenraised and/or lowered although it is articulated to its supports.

Another object of the invention is to ensure that a'tiltable goodsreceiving platform incorporated in the elevator is maintained horizontalat all times, in an entirely automatic manner. Still another objects ofthe invention is to ensure that, although when being raised or lowered,the goods receiving platform of the elevator travels in a curvedpath,the speed of vertical movement of the said: platform .is not materiallyreduced when approaching or. departing from its uppermost position. I

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description particularly when the said description is read inconjunctionwith the accompanying drawings, wherem:...... o Figure 1 is adiagrammatic elevation of a goods elevator fitted. to. they rear end ofa lorry. orlike road .vehicle, showing the elevator. erected. ready '6Claims. (01. 214-77) for useandthe goods receiving platform thereofclose tothe ground. 1

Figure} is a similar view to Figure 1, but shows the goods receivingplatform in an intermediate position.

FigureB- is another similar, view to Figure 1 butshows the goodsreceiving platform raised to its maximum height. I I v Figures 4, 5 and6 are similar views to Figures 1, 3 and 3 respectively, of analternative or modified construction of elevator. I I I II I InFigures-1 3 of the said drawingsl is the deck or floor of alm ryhavingan ordinary tail w 2 board 5, Whereas 2 indicates the chassis, or one ofthe longitudinal or main members of the chassis, of the vehicle.

One end of a prop 3 is articulated to the rear end of each chassismember 2 and, when the elevator is in use, the other end of the saidprop rests or seats upon the ground I2.

To. the ground-supported end of each prop thereis articulated at 4 oneend of a lever fi-which is itself;v articulated by itsyother end I, tothe rear. edge of a platform 8 located rearwardly of thefloor or deck I.

The said platform is maintained (by means hereinafter described)constantly in a horizontal position;

For each prop 3 and lever B, there is provided a link I8 which, at itsone end, is articulated to the forward edge I3 of the platform 8 whereasits other end 20 is coupled to a chain 2| extending between the saidlink and the point of articulation 4 between the complementary lever 6and prop 3.

Also connected to the said forward platform edge I3, is one end of acable I5 which, after pass-,- ing under a pulley I'I journalled to thecomplementary lever 6 intermediate, for example midway between, the endsof the said lever, is connected'by its other, end to the rear I6 of thefloor or deck I of the vehicle. A hoist -I I, complementary to eachprop, lever and link system, is carried below the said floor or deckIand the said hoist incorporates a drum (not shown) around which a cable9 is wound. This cable extends over a pulley I0 which is journalled,forexample, on the hinge pin of the tail board 5, and is connected tothe complementary link I8 at a point I9 located between the ends of thesaid link I 7 When the elevator has been actuated to take the platform 8to a lowered position such as shown in Figure 1, the cable I5 is taut;consequently, when a -load, such as the package of goods I4, is placedupon the platform 8, the said cable I5 prevents the forward edge I3 fromrising relatively to the, rear edge I under the action of the increasedtension created in the haulage cable 9. Further, since the haulage cable9 is also taut. its ;connection I9 to the link I8 prevents the saidforward edge from dipping relatively to the said rear edge. Hence. theplatform is main tained in its horizontal position and there is notendency for any load, such as the package of goods I4, carried upon thesaid platform, to slide priate direction for winding up the cables 9 anddraw in the cable ends which are attached to the links l8. Each linktherefore pulls upon the forward edge of the platform, which is stillprevented from tilting upwardly by the taut cable I5, to lift the saidplatform and to cause the complementary lever B to swing upwardly aboutits point of articulation to the complementary prop 3, therebydecreasing the relative angle of inclination of the levers 6 relativelyto the props 4.

The upward movement of the platform 8 and links l3 also has the effectof tensioning the chains 2! which are slack when the platform is in alowered position such as shown in Figure 1.

Any continuation of the upward movement of the platform subsequent tothe tensioning f the said chains, therefore causes the links 13 to-swingclockwise about their ends which are articulated to the forward platformedge |3, the link ends which are connected to the chains being con-'strained to move in an arcuate path of which the radius is equal to thelength of the chains and the centre is located at the point ofarticulation '4 between the complementary lever 6 and prop 3.Thetensioning of the chains 2| transfers the control of the forwardplatform edge from the cables 5 to the said links and chains so that,once the said chains are taut, they prevent the said forward edge fromraising relatively to the rear edge I and tilting the platformbackwardly; therefore, the length of the cables l5, the tautness ofwhich progressively decreases to zero as the platform is raised, is ofsuch a length that the said zero value is attained at the same time asthe chains 2! are made taut and there is no longer any danger of thesaid forward edge rising above the level of the said rear edge. 7

. is in motion and/or when it is not desired to use Also the tensioningof the chains and the subsequent swinging of the links l3 and chains 2|ensures that thespeed at which the platform rises is not progressivelydecreased as would be the case if the levers 6 were to be swung at auniform speed about the points of articulation 4 since the swinging ofthe said links and chains superimposes on the platform-lifting movementof the lever, an additional movement which compensates the said decreasein the speed at which the platform rises.

The lengths of the levers 6, links I8 and chains 2| are such that thehorizontally located plat-v It will be appreciated that, when it isdesired to unload goods from the lorry, the platform is first raised tothe position shown in Figure 3, the goods are transferred from the flooror deck I to the said platform, and the hoists are then operatedto drivetheir drums in the reverse direction to lower the platform to or, ifdesired, beyond, the lowered position shown in Figure 1.

In the modified or alternative construction of elevator shown in Figures4-6, each platformsupporting lever 6 is provided'with two pulleys 23 and24 which are spacedapart along the length of the said lever and underboth of which the control cable 15 passes; "Also, instead of connectingeach of the chains 2-! to the point of l the elevator, the props 3 maybe made capable of folding flat orsubstantially flat on to the levers 6to enable the whole assembly to be collapsed and slid under the floor ordeck 1 into and stored in channels permanently installed below the saidfloor or deck. Also the chains 2| may be replaced by rigid rods eachbeing articulated by its respective ends to and between thecomplementary link I8 and any desired and suitable position along thelength of the comp-lementarylever 5.

Again, the elevator, instead of being arranged for erection outwardly ofthe rear edge of a lorry or other road vehicle, maybe arranged forassembly at any other desired position relatively to some other type ofvehicle or it may even be capable of erection for use inraising and/orlowering gOOdS from one fixed floor or deck to another fixed floor ordeck at a different level.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. In an elevator for facilitating the loading of goods on to and theunloading of goodsfrom a vehicle, a horizontally, disposedplatformjlocated rearwardly of the vehicle, at least one leverarticulated by one end to the rear ofthe said platform, the other end.of' the said lever being articulated to one end of a prop, the otherend of the said prop being articulated to the rear of the vehiclechassis, and the articulated ends of the said lever and prop beingsupported upon the groundrearwardly of the vehicle when the elevator isin use, a link articulated to the forward end of said platform, a'flexible connection between said link and said lever, a pulleyjournalled upon said lever intermediate its ends, a cable passing roundsaid pulley and connected by its ends to the forward edge of the saidplat.-

form and to the vehicle respectively, toprevent upward movement of thesaidfront edge rela.-. tively to the rear edge of said platform, andmeans connected to said link for swinging the said lever about itsarticulation to the said prop for imparting verticalmovements to thesaid platform.

2, In an elevator for facilitating the loading of goods on to and theunloading of goods from, a vehicle, a platform, at least one pair ofrelatively inclined and relatively articulated levers connected betweenthe edge ofthe said.v platform' remote from the vehicle and the vehicle,the point of articulation between the said levers being supported on theground when the elevator is in use, a link articulated to the platformedge adjacent the vehicle, a flexible connection between said link andthe point of ar ticulation between the said levers, a pulley journalledon and between the ends of the lever con nected to the said platform, acable passingunder the said pulley and connected by its ends to theplatform edge adjacent the-vehicle and to the vehicle respectively ahoist mounted "on the vehicle, and cable wound around a rotatable drumincorporated in the said hoist, the said cable being connected to thesaid link intermediate the ends of the link.

3. In an elevator for facilitating the loading of goods on to and theunloading of goods from a vehicle, a platform, at least one pair ofrelatively inclined and relatively articulated levers connected betweenthe edge of the said platform remote from the vehicle and the vehicle,the point of. articulation between the said levers being supported onthe ground when the elevator is in use, a link articulated to theplatform edge adjacent the vehicle, a flexible connection between saidlink and a point on the' lever connected to the said platform in thevicinity of the point of articulation between the said levers, a pulleyjournalled on and between the ends of the said leveriwhich is connectedto the platform, a cable passing under the said pulley and connected byits ends to the platform edge adjacent the vehicle and to the vehiclerespectively, a hoist mounted on the vehicle and a cable wound around arotatable drum incorporated in the said hoist, the said cable beingconnected to the said link intermediate the ends of the link.

4. In an elevator for facilitating the loading of goods onto, and theunloading of goods from a vehicle, a platform, at least one pair ofrelatively inclined and relatively articulated levers connected betweenthe edge of the said platform remote from the vehicle and the vehicle,the point of articulation between the said levers being supported on theground when the elevator is in use, a link articulated to the platformedge adjacent the vehicle, a flexible connection between the said linkand the point of articulation between the said levers, two pulleysjournalled on the lever connected to the said platform the said pulleysbeing spaced apart lengthwise of the said lever, a cable passing underboth the said pulleys and connected by its ends to the platform edgeadjacent the vehicle and to the vehicle respectively, a hoist mounted onthe vehicle, and a cable wound around a rotatable drum incorporatedinthe said hoist, the said cable being connected to the said linkintermediate the ends of the link.

5. In an elevator for facilitating the loading of goods on to and theunloading of goods from a vehicle, a platform, at least one pair ofrelatively inclined levers connected between the edge of the saidplatform remote from the vehicle and the vehicle, the point ofarticulation between the said levers being supported on the ground whenthe elevator is in use, a link articulated to the platform edge adjacentthe vehicle, a flexible connection between the said link and a point onthe lever connected to the said platform in the vicinity of the point ofarticulation between the said levers, two pulleys journalled on thelever connected to the said platform, the said pulleys being spacedapart lengthwise of the lever, a cable passing under the said pulleysand connected by its ends to the platform edge adjacent the vehicle andthe vehicle respectively, a hoist mounted on the vehicle and a cablewound around a rotatable drum incorporated in the said hoist, andconnected to the said link intermediate the ends of the link.

6. In a goods elevator, a horizontal platform located outwardly of araised deck to be loaded with the goods, relatively inclined andinterconnected levers having a variable angle of inclination, connectingthe said platform to the said deck, the points of interconnectionbetween the said levers bearing on the ground, links articulated to theplatform edge adjacent the said deck, flexible connections between thesaid points of interconnection of the said levers, haulage cablesconnected to the said links intermediate the ends of the latter, hoistson the deck for winding and unwinding the said cables, and flexibleconnections of constant length between the adjacent edges of theplatform and deck and, the said connections of constant length passingunder pulleys on the said levers.

JEAN ARCHER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,916,869 Stewart et al July 4,1933 2,457,049 Lacey Dec. 21, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date411,542 Great Britain June 14, 1934 807,388 France Oct. 12, 1936 101,792Sweden June 10, 1941 11,507 Australia Dec. 13, 1928

